Lupin's Daughter
by ml62
Summary: A few years after the downfall of Voldemort, the Order hears about this little orphan girl who says she can do things other kids can't. Which sounds exactly like a young wizard. They send out a reluctant Remus Lupin to go see if this girl is really one of them. She indeed is a wizard, and she's about four years old. And she's a werewolf. Bitten by none other than Fenrir Greyback.
1. Adoption?

I didn't want to see this girl. I didn't want to scare the poor girl.

It would've been better if we had let Andromeda see the kid. I was a mess. Lonely, depressed, and of course, a werewolf. It was April 17th, 1986, I believe. A rainy, messy, foggy, cold day. The Muggle newspaper had just posted a, what they thought, was a cute little article about a little orphan girl with a big imagination. This little girl claimed that she could magically get out of stressful situations, make funny things happen to bad people unintentionally, and so on.

Those were all the signs of a young wizard. And, the Order having nothing much to do after the downfall of Voldemort, decided maybe they could take the girl in, and one of us would raise her.

Why did they choose me? They said, "Oh, Remus, you need a little fun in your life. You're still only 28, you can easily raise a kid." I tried to protest that I'd be a huge threat to her once a month, and would cause her to become an outcast. "I can babysit, you know. It's not like I don't have seven other children. What's one more?" Molly reasoned. I was so reluctant. I always have wanted to raise children of my own, they're so fun, and sweet, and didn't have a care in the world. I never got that chance to have that childhood. But I wasn't going to subject another kid to that torture. The torture of being a werewolf. I've considered adoption, but like now, I believe it's way too dangerous. But somehow, someway, they convinced me to go see her in the rich orphanage she lived in. Maybe I could pass her onto Andromeda.

"Hello," acknowledged the director of the orphanage. "I'm Linda Smith, and you are?" "Remus Lupin."

"Like Remus from the Roman myth?"

"Yes, it's the same name."

Linda smiled. "And you're here about... hmm, Miranda Williams?" I nodded. She continued with, "Miranda's quite a peculiar little girl. Shy, anxious, humble, but very imaginative. She believes she can do magic. Silly little girl," Linda chuckled. "Would you like me to call her in here?" Once again, I nodded. "Mrs. Reed? Can you bring in Miranda?" A low-pitched voice responded, "Sure. I'll be right back."

A few moments later, a plump woman came in, followed by a small, black-haired girl, clutching a tattered stuffed animal that looked like a Siberian Husky. She had brown, almost black, eyes, and pale skin. "Miranda," whispered Linda as she knelt down, "Can you tell Mr. Lupin here how old you are?" With an anxious nod, the girl turned to me and held up four fingers. "And can you tell him your birthday?" A small voice squeaked out "March 5th." To be honest, the kid reminded me of myself at that age. Afraid to say too much. I gave a tired smile. "That's close to my own. Mine's March 10th," I said. Surprisingly, she walked over to where I was sitting and plopped down to where my feet were, becoming immensely interested in my scars. She ran one little hand over a scar on my ankle. I could only think of when Harry used to do that. We sat in silence for a few moments, while I had a little kid examining my ankle, pulling my socks down over my shoes to see all of the scars. The other adults looked exasperated and embarrassed, but I thought it was funny.

"Miranda, can you go back to your room now?" The plump woman held her hand, and as she was being led back, Miranda looked back at me with hopeful eyes, and a small, almost invisible smile on her lips. "So, Remus, what do you think?" Linda asked me. I wasn't honestly sure. "May I speak to her, alone, please?" I asked. A grinning girl opened the door, nodding, while Mrs. Reed was desperately trying to get her back to her room. "Miranda! You know it's bad to eavesdrop!" she exclaimed, face red as a beet. I stifled a laugh, something I hadn't had to do in over five years. The two annoyed adults left the room, shaking her head. As soon as they left, Miranda whispered, "I've got a secret. I never ever told anyone else. Everyone else I just try to run away once a month. I turn into a wolf at the full moon, and I hurt people. And I don't wanna do that, like the wolf who bit me. He stayed with me until morning, just so he could tell me his name. It was Fenrir Greyback."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Can you do magic?" I whispered. "Yeah. But I can't control it," she answered, almost ashamed. "No, it's OK, really. I can do magic too, look. _Lumos_ ," I told her, pulling out my wand and illuminating the tip. "Are you a werewolf, too?" she asked. "Yes, I actually am, but people are afraid of us. You mustn't tell anyone of your condition, alright? They can hurt you." Miranda looked up at me with fearful eyes. I gulped- maybe I had scared her beyond belief. Oh, this is why I shouldn't be a father. As I turned to leave and tell them I wasn't interested, she asked, "Will you protect me from the bad people? Are you gonna be my father?"

"I'll take her- she needs a home, doesn't she?" I immediately told Linda.

"Oh, well, we'll have to do background checks on you, find out information, make sure you don't have a criminal record, it's a long process. Even if you are deemed able to be her legal guardian, it will be at least six weeks before she can live with you-"

"Do what you have to."


	2. Meeting the Order

It's been two months.

Two long, long months.

I haven't seen the kid since, though Linda has told me that Miranda was constantly speaking of how everything will be better. It made me smile. I guess a little optimism in my life couldn't hurt. The background checks were going fine, and not one person suspected a thing. I had a small room set up for her in my apartment. It had a small bed in one corner, a dresser in another, and because Linda had told me she loved to write and draw, a small, scratched desk in the last corner that wasn't being taken up by a door.

I felt so bad that I couldn't give her more, but it was the best I could do.

"Are you here to take me home?" was the first thing she said when she saw me walk through the doors. I grinned. "Yes, I am. Shouldn't we go talk to Mrs. Smith before you come with me?" She ran through the hallway, her Siberian Husky toy still clutched in one hand. I caught up to her, and just in time, too. Linda came out of her office. "Miranda," she scolded, "Why were you out of your room? I told you to wait for Mr. Lupin to arrive. As for you, Remus, I need you to sign a few papers, and make sure you agree to everything. Miranda, how about you pack your stuff?" She nodded her head vigorously, and ran back off. We went over the paperwork, and I won't bore you with the details. Incredibly precise. But I understood. I wasn't going to endanger this kid.

"Ready!" Miranda squealed, tottering from behind a pile of her suitcase, pillow, blanket, and the Siberian Husky. "Need help?" I laughed, and grabbed the suitcase, folded the blanket, and put it neatly inside. "Can you hold your pillow and your puppy?" I asked.

"He has a name."

"Oh, what is it?"

"His name is Mike."

I had to laugh at the expression on her face. It was assertive, determined, angry, and happy all rolled into one. "And she's shy?" I asked Linda sarcastically. "Yes, actually. She's never had a connection like this with anyone, not even the staff members or the other kids. She's almost afraid of people, it seems."

"Should I call you daddy?" she asked on the bus ride home. I know, Apparating is much easier, but I doubt it would be with a four-year old in tow. I've seen the way Ginny and Ron act with Molly and Arthur, and they're older. I thought about her question. I knew this girl once had a biological father. And he probably had a special place in her heart. I wasn't going to take that away. Then the perfect thought came into my head.

"You could call me Moony, if you'd like. That's what my friends in school used to call me." She thought about it. "OK, Moony. But what happened to your friends?" A saddened memory washed over me. James, Lily, and Peter dead. And it was all Sirius's fault. "Th-they're not with us anymore." Her face darkened, then saddened. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"No, it's OK. Really. You can know the truth. Soon, you'll know all about them."

"Really?"  
"Really."

"This is Miranda, everyone," I announced, walking into the Burrow. Everyone did insist on meeting the kid. "Oh, hi dear! Do you want a snack?" Molly asked. "Hey, kid. I'm Mr. Weasley, but if you'd like, you can call me Arthur." "Hey. Don't be fooled by the eye, I'm not working for the Dark Lord. Alastor's the name." With wide, fearful eyes, she watched each person introduced themselves. I watched in confusion. Why was she upset? Then the crying started. "Moony!" she wailed, running to me and burying her face in my pant leg. "She's apparently got a few social issues," I apologized. "Oh, dear, it's alright. No one will hurt you." Molly comforted. Miranda tore her face away from my leg, and rubbed her nose. "Promise?"

"Promise. Would you like to meet my kids?"

"Alright, but can Moony come with me?" she asked untrustingly.

"Why are you so afraid?"

"I'm afraid someone will hurt me again."

"Remus?! What is she talking about?! This is really quite concerning, should we contact St. Mungo's? The poor girl-"

I cut Molly off. "She's had an encounter with Greyback."

Everyone looked up, and Miranda started to sniffle again.

"You don't mean-"

"Yes Molly. She was even younger than me."

An awkward silence started in the room, until there was a loud bang, followed by two very loud giggles from two very loud kids.

"FRED? GEORGE? GET IN HERE. NOW," yelled Molly.

"Sorry, Mum, we got carried away, we didn't break anyth- who's this?" Fred rambled.

"Oh, this is Miranda. Remember that kid in the newspaper? Remus is raising her."

"Hi, want to help me prank our brother, Ron?" George asked.

"What's a prank?" Miranda asked, her head tilted to one side.

"George, you will not poison her mind with your nonsense," Molly firmly said.

"Oh, come on Molly, she's being raised by a Marauder. Of course she'll be a bit of a prankster," I insisted.

"Honestly, Remus, you're just as bad as my sons."

"What's a Marauder?"

"Don't mind it, dear. Would you like some food?" Molly ended the conversation. Miranda nodded her head, following Molly into the kitchen.

"We're going to have so much fun teaching her how to prank, right, Mr. Lupin?" Fred asked.

"We'll see, Fred."


	3. Diagon Alley

"Moony! Can we go to Diagon Alley now?"

"Coming, Miranda! Give me a second!'

It was August 7th, 1993. Miranda was eleven years old, and all too ready to go to Hogwarts. Once again, Dumbledore had made special allowances for her, even as a werewolf. And this year was special, because I was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Miranda still had the same curly dark hair, the same dark brown eyes, and the same pale skin. But she wasn't short anymore, in fact, she was quite tall. She wore glasses now. She became quite good friends with the Weasleys, especially Fred and George. Still an anxious kid, but managed to deal with her social anxiety. And no one except parts of the Order knew of her condition.

She grew up fairly fast.

"Are we going to take Floo?" she asked. I nodded, and grabbed the powder from the fireplace, throwing it in quickly. I told her while the flames flickered, "Say Diagon Alley confidentially after you step into the fire." She nodded her head. "Diagon Alley!"

"Where should we go, first? Robes, wand, or books?"

"Wand!"

At Ollivanders, she was chosen for a wand. It seemed to be tough. We went through five until we could find the perfect one. "This one, it's hazel wood, thirteen inches in length, with a phoenix feather core. It's particularly unyielding." Ollivander explained. Whispering the only spell she knew so far, Lumos, the tip lit up. "Moony, look! It worked!" she whispered. "Good. Now say Nox to turn it off." With the utmost concentration, she whispered "Nox," and the tip turned off. "Woah."

"Molly!" I greeted in the book shop. "Shopping for Miranda, are you? She's a first-year?" One frizzy haired girl approached Miranda. "Hi. I'm Hermione Granger. What's your name?" "Er, Miranda Williams." They shook hands and talked for a bit. "You're a first-year? I remember my first year. You should study loads, and get good marks." Miranda nodded, taking it all in. ""Miranda, you don't have to listen to her. It's way more fun to explore the castle. Grades don't matter that much." Rob muttered. The girl, Hermione, hit him. "Ron doesn't know what he's talking about." Miranda laughed. "I know Ron. He talks stupidly sometimes." Ron made a face, then I had a huge shock. "Mrs. Weasley, I've found the books." The boy. It was James! Wait- it couldn't be. The boy had Lily's eyes. It was Harry. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to talk to him. I could've been Uncle Moony. And he doesn't remember me. "Moony," Miranda pulled at my sleeve. "Can we go get robes now?" "Oh, yes. Well, see you all."

"Moony," she asked while putting on the robes over her clothes, "What if I get into Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor?" I had the answer in my head that was honestly truthful and that I've been rehearsing for weeks. "Then I'll care about you just the same."

"What about Hufflepuff?"

"Same answer."

"Slytherin?"

"Same answer."

"But all the bad people go to Slytherin."

"Andromeda isn't bad. She was in Slytherin."

"Well, yeah. But the vast majority is. You-Know-Who was in Slytherin."

"So was Merlin."

"Oh, OK."

I didn't honestly need Miranda to worry about what house she was in. Not when her condition would make her an outcast, and when schoolwork would be practically impossible for her to do around the full moon. She's so cramped and tired around that time. And she didn't have amazing Animagus friends that would accompany her to the Whomping Willow.

Who were all dead. Well, not all. One got sentenced to Azkaban for causing the deaths of the others. Which I honestly don't believe Sirius has done. He wouldn't do that, especially not to James.

Why has everything fallen apart?

"How do I look?" said Miranda, walking out of the changing room. I actually never realized she left. She was wearing black tights and skirt that was slightly too big, pinned at the side. Her collared shirt was too big, her sweater was too big, and her robes basically hung off of her, once again, pinned. "Why is everything so big on you?" Her short answer made me want to cry. "I know you don't make much money. So, if I buy them bigger, I'll grow into them and we won't have to buy clothes as often." I nodded my approval and she changed back into her jeans and her shirt. She wasn't exactly girly, in fact, she was quite like Ginny. She grabbed a pair of lace-up shoes off the shelf, and we paid.

An hour or so later, we were eating ice cream, while Miranda was anxiously checking off supplies. "OK, we've got all the books, the cauldron, the potion set, the robes, the wand, a quill, where's the telescope?" I saw her face fall as she realized we couldn't afford one. "I'm sure you could borrow the one of the Weasley's old ones."

"I suppose so."

So we did end up getting the telescope after all, and she was more than ecstatic to go to Hogwarts. And I was more than nervous to return.


	4. Sirius?

"No, it can't be. He's escaped?" I gasped, looking down at the morning newspaper. "Sirius's escaped?" Never in my life, have I been so shocked, so dumbfounded, so confused on what to feel. Even when Miranda told me she was a werewolf, seven years ago. Had it really been seven years? Had it really been at least 84 transformations with this kid? Speak of the devil. "Moony, what's wrong?" she asked, stumbling into the kitchen. Unable to speak, I showed her the struggling man in the picture.

"Padfoot's escaped? What if he comes after us? Sirius is out of Azkaban?"

A mute nod was the only confirmation she needed. She ran off to her small bedroom, and slammed the door. "Soory!" she called. Three minutes later, she came out, dressed in her usual clothes, shoes untied, messy hair. "Shouldn't we go find him?" I shook my head. "No." "But why? What if he's all alone?" "No. We're not looking for a convict of murder." I had never told Miranda about my suspicions of Sirius being innocent. Framed. "I thought he was your friend." I turned around, sharply. "I'm not friends with murderers. With traitors. With Sirius Orion Black. I'm not friends with Sirius Orion Black," I yelled, saying the words I had never thought I would say. And it stung. The words seemed to have an impact, because she left. And then I felt worse than before.

"I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean to yell at you." I apologized. "It's fine," Miranda muttered.

"No, it's not. I can see it. Did I upset you?"

"I'm fine."

"Miranda,"

"I'm fine!"

She pushed past me, opened the front door, and I heard it slam. She was angry, confused, and upset. And I had no clue where she was.

-(Miranda's view)-

"Miranda Williams! Get back here!" I heard Moony's voice cry out. In the huge patch of forest behind the apartment building, there was a tree. My favorite tree. It was big, perfect for climbing, and a small little nook, perfect for my lanky body. I was sitting in it, wiping my eyes. I was crying. And truth be told, it wasn't about Moony yelling at me. It was an anxiety attack. I had no clue that Moony believed his old friend was guilty. I always thought deep down inside, he believed Sirius was framed. But if he believes that Sirius was the killer, then it must be true.

"Come on down! Please?" I could hear him ask from the ground. Reluctantly, I gave up my spot, and grabbed a branch to lower myself. Slowly, but carefully, I crept my way down, until almost at the bottom, my foot slipped. Though I didn't get any bad injuries, my leg was pretty scraped up, and it hurt. "Great, now my leg is scratched and I'm still panicking." I mumbled. I looked up at who I called my father, so trusting, caring, from the seven years he's raised me. Which I was eternally grateful for. He extended a scarred hand, and I grasped it with a rough one. "Come on, we'll fix the leg up inside. I'll make tea, alright?" I sniffled, nodded, and allowed myself to be led back into the complex.

"So, what's up? Did me yelling at you scare you?" Moony asked, "Because you know I didn't mean to flip out." I shook my head. "So what is it?" It came out fast, faster than I expected. "I d-didn't know Padfoot, I mean, Sirius, w-was actually guilty. I thought that d-deep down you always thought h-he was innocent.

"I've always thought he was innocent. He loved James. They could've gotten married." Moony had a small smirk on his face, but it was quickly erased when I asked my next question.

"But why did you say he was a murderer? That you weren't friends with him?"

"I didn't know you were aware he could've been framed. I wouldn't be surprised if you got put in Ravenclaw. You've got a great mind for details. But never mind that. I wanted to protect you. You're everything to me, Miranda."

"Don't make me cry again, Moony," I sniffled, but gave a smile at the same time.

"Aw, I wouldn't. What time is it?" he asked. "I want Professor Dumbledore to come over. I want to make sure we're set for, you know, the full moon."

"It's nine o'clock. When is he arriving?"

Moony said, "One. We've got plenty of time."

-(Remus's View)-

I had to get this situation down. I had the most willing friends, they became Animagi for me. And always the one familiar with the real world, she wasn't going to get anyone like that. At least, she had little chance. They only kids she knew were the Weasleys. And as fond as Fred and George were of her (She's like us, right?) they wouldn't become an Animagus. And with Wolfsbane available, maybe no one would have to be.

The doorbell ringed. And of course, the tall brunette zipped out of her room, where she was reading one of her new books for school. "Hello, everything? Remus, oh, how have you been? And I'll assume this is Miranda." Instinctively, nervously, she stuck out her hand. "Er, hello, Professor D-Dumbledore." He laughed- that chuckle I remembered from my Hogwarts day, and we sat down. "Now, Professor, I understand that as Miranda and I are going to Hogwarts, we'll be a threat to students and staff every full moon. Wolfsbane could help- correct? Could Severus make it for us?" It killed me to warrant help from my mortal enemy- after all, if he still wasn't over his Lily obsession, there's a problem.

Lily. James. Sirius. Peter. The names kept replaying in my head.

"Snivellus?" Miranda asked, head tilted. Once again, Dumbledore gave his signature chuckle. "Raising her just like a Marauder would. And yes, Severus will make Wolfsbane."

It was settled. We were going to Hogwarts. Oh, god.


	5. Hogwarts

**Sorry I haven't written in forever, I had school finals. I hope that someone will review, I want to know how this story is going so far, should I change, should I just stop, etc. I know this story is a bit slow, but just wait! We'll get there. Well, I hope you enjoy! Oh, and just to make this clear, if you think I own Harry Potter, you obviously aren't in the right mind because my writing isn't near to Rowling's.**

"I'm tired," she grumbled, a grey, oversized jacket hanging around her thin frame.

"I know, the transformation was only a few days ago." Unfortunately, the full moon was only a couple of days ago, and she's, well, we're, still exhausted. Exhausted and sick feeling. I looked into the dull, usually attentive, brown eyes. "We're going to Hogwarts. This will be fun. Come on," I whispered, boarding the scarlet train. We stumbled through the halls of nervous first-years and panicking fifth-years (OWLS) and everyone else. Finally, finally we found an empty compartment.

The same one I sat in when I was a nervous first-year. Miranda payed no attention and found a comfortable position on the seat, and quickly dozed off. A quick glance to the table, where the initials _LE+JP_ were inscribed, where there was a dim stain of pumpkin juice on the carpet, where there were chocolate smudges under the table. A dozed off, too. The memories were too much to handle.

 _Lily and James are dead. Sirius is the traitor. Peter is dead. SIRIUS IS THE TRAITOR._ The voices rang in my head. The air was cold. I looked up, and there was a dementor. _You're a werewolf. Your only friends are gone. No one will ever care about you again._ They continued. The memory of when _I found out about the death_ flashed before my eyes. The memory of when _I was in a depressed state for months. Even years._ The memory of a _struggling Sirius in the newspaper_. Then there were whispers. "Harry, are you alright?" Then a scream, and a thump. "Harry!" A voice I knew to be Ron's shrieked. Then I realized Miranda was clutching onto me, head buried in my stomach, shoulders quickly moving, quick breaths, hyperventilating.

"Expecto Patronum!" A silvery wolf sprang from out of my wand. I narrowed my eyes in slits. "None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our coats. Go." I looked around the cabin. The same bushy haired girl and Ron were leaning over a messy haired boy, presumably Harry. Ginny was sitting in the corner, hands over her ears, a terrified expression on her face. And of course, latched onto me, was Miranda, who was continuing to panic and would not let go. I don't even think she was crying at that point, just in complete shock. I looked at the silent compartment, and gave a small smile. Digging out a piece of chocolate, I said, "Eat chocolate. It helps. Really." They all cautiously took one, but not Miranda, who had just sat back down. "Take, Miranda." I shook my head at this defiant kid. "You know it helps. Eat it." She shook her head again. "I'm changing into my robes," she sighed miserably.

At Hogwarts. Finally. Miranda had calmed down a bit, ate a piece of chocolate, and spoke with Hermione. Adjusting her now black tie, she waved good-bye as she was greeted by Hagrid.

-(Miranda's POV)-

I was so unbelievably nervous when Hagrid rowed the boat across the lake, as the pelting rain flattened my hair, as McGonagall greeted us at the door, giving me a squeeze on my shoulder. She didn't do that for anyone else. I sat at the table, swinging my legs, trying to shake the memory of the fool I had made of myself in the cabin. Slowly, but surely, we got through the first years. Being my last name was still legally Williams, I was the very last one. Soon enough, I could see Moony nodding at me from the staff table. He looked really poor next to the other professors. But finally, it was my turn. I nervously walked, well, stumbled, to the Sorting Hat. It nearly slid over my ears. " _Williams? Hm, quite a common last name, but I haven't seen anyone similar to you before. Are you a Muggleborn?"_ Before I could answer, it babbled on. " _A werewolf too, interesting. I have only sorted one werewolf before. Remus Lupin. Heard of him? I'd reckon. You're quite intelligent, a great mind for details. Ravenclaw could be a fit for you, but it doesn't seem desirable. Ambitious, you are. I see you've thought about your future. Slytherin, perhaps? No, you wouldn't fit in. You are very brave. Seems you've had a rough childhood. Parents died. Bitten at two. You do have anxiety, though. Ravenclaw would be OK, but your bravery may set you to great things. Oh, this is hard. I'll have to go with_ GRYFFINDOR!" I couldn't believe it! Me, of all people, a Gryffindor? Even with anxiety and everything? Even coming from, oh well, never mind. This was amazing. Quickly, I handed the hat back and scampered off to the Gryffindor table, sitting across from Fred and George and next to a third year named Neville. He shook my hand. "Miranda? I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom. Welcome to Gryffindor, I guess. Word of advice: don't forget the password." I smiled, sensing this kid might be my new friend.

Maybe Hogwarts won't be so bad after all.


	6. First Day of Hogwarts: Part One

**I'm so so so so sorry I haven't updated in forever! And my last chapter was really short; even for me. Summer vacation is almost here. Maybe I'll get more time to write? Let's hope.**

 **I'm obviously not JK Rowling. And so, therefore, I don't own Harry Potter. I can only wish I was that brilliant.  
**

 **By the way, if you haven't noticed, Miranda has anxiety and is nervous, almost frightened, around most people. She is also pretty introverted, which will come into play later on in the story. Please review! If you read this, and if you don't want to write a whole paragraph, that's fine. I'd just really appreciate it if you gave me a sentence or two on how I'm doing. (However, if you'd like to write a bunch, go right ahead)**

 **Also, we're going to find out more about Miranda's biological father here. So read!**

 **And last point, I promise: the second half of the school day will be in chapter 7. So now, you may enjoy!**

-Miranda's POV)-

The first day of Hogwarts, I guess? This isn't nerve-racking, not at all. I went to go see Moony this morning.

"Come in," he called from beyond the door.

I walked in, readjusting the pin on my sweater, which was now decorated with maroon and gold borders.

"Ready for your first day?"

"Well, sort of. I'm a bit nervous. OK, well, crazy nervous."

"Well, what's your schedule?"

I looked at my hand, which had my classes written on it.

"Um, Herbology with the Ravenclaws, Potions with the Slytherins, lunch break, History of Magic, that one it's only Gryffindor, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin again."

Moony smiled. "You know who that's with."

I rolled my eyes jokingly. "You, obviously."

He laughed, something that didn't happen often (I mean, our lives weren't great) and told me to get to breakfast. With a bit of my nervousness gone, I ran to the Great Hall. Well, tried to. I got lost in a maze of corridors with so many staircases. "Breathe," I muttered to myself, "You're alright." Of course, I ran into another boy, barely as tall as I was. He looked at me, and his face brightened. "Hey, I saw you last night, didn't I? Miranda, right?"

I looked at him, confused. And a little scared. Why did he know my name? Well, I mean he could've memorized it from the Sorting, but that's loads of kids. Then I remembered. "Neville, um, correct?" He nodded. "Well, I'm, um, completely, er, well, lost, and, well, I need help, um, getting to the, er, Great Hall." He laughed, a strong laugh that was so different from the squeak I would think he would produce. "Come on, I'll help you there." I debated on whether or not I should follow him. Last I walked, well, toddled, behind someone I didn't know well, I was bitten by a werewolf. What if he was going to trick me, too? Last time I didn't know, I was two and out in my back yard, when I man I can barely remember, went back inside for two minutes to check on some warm cookies or something.

That man. My father. A round face, constantly laughing. He wasn't very tall. I obviously didn't get my height from him. And I didn't get my introverted demeanor from him, that's for sure. But I did get my dark hair and eyes from here, along with the crappy eyesight. And even when I was little, he would be sarcastic. That's where I got my sense of sarcasm from (though Moony contributed to it.) and my infectious laugh. Though he laughed way more than I did. The worst day of my life was when he died. Because if I wasn't bitten, he wouldn't of gotten hit by a car driving me to the hospital.

Taking me from my thoughts, Neville shook my shoulder. "You alright?" He asked, smiling comfortingly. I nodded, quickly wiping my eyes, which were quickly tearing up. I don't know, he had this look in his eyes that showed me he had at least lost someone close to him. And how much could he, a thirteen-year-old, do to me, an eleven-year-old taller than him, in a castle filled with professors who could do magic? "Alright, let's go." Then the bell sounded. He sighed. "Well, there goes breakfast." He looked at me. "What's your first lesson?"

"Herbology."

"OK, follow me. If we run, we can make it."  
And so we did. I practically flew, I swear. And still, everyone stared at me when I first got in. Neville whispered something to Professor Sprout, who nodded at me and conjured up a note, which she gave to Neville.

Everything was going fine. Potions was... interesting, I guess? We didn't do anything, Snivellus- I mean, Professor Snape- drawled on, and then asked us a bunch of questions. He gave me a mean glare, though, and I wasn't sure why. I don't think he likes me very much. Well, that's an understatement. I think he hates me. But all in all, today was alright.

I slid into a seat for lunch, alone. Then, Fred and George sat down across from me.

"Hey, Mira, how's Hogwarts been so far?" George asked, using the nickname they made up for me. I grinned the famous prankster grin they taught me to do. "Not so bad. I haven't been looking for any prank suspects, though." Fred furrowed his brow in concern. "You haven't had a panic attack today, have you?" I shrugged. "Sorta. I kinda got lost. But Neville helped me get to my class, so it's alright." They looked at each other in surprise. "Longbottom? The one in Ron's year?" I nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty nice, I guess." Fred muttered, "I barely knew the kid existed. Weird." After that, we talked about classes and everything. The Great Hall was loud, and I didn't like it, but the twins told me I would get used to it. Oh, and we laughed at Percy, who was being a real prat these days.

And then lunch was over. And the second half of the school day had begun.


	7. First Day of Hogwarts: Part Two

**Please, tell me if you like the longer chapters better- which this is.**

-Miranda's POV-

Remember how I said today was going well?

That's all out of the window.

After History of Magic, I was walking to Defense, minding my own business. Then, a tall, blonde –haired boy, followed by two heavy boys, stalked through the halls. And I unfortunately bumped into them by accident, knocking him over.

He turned around, a fury in his eyes. "Watch where you're going, Mudblood." he snarled. With my head down, I tried to hurry away, but he grabbed onto my sweater.

"No, you need to learn a lesson." The air suddenly went cold. I stammered "D-don't bite me." I was hopelessly confused. I could've been back in my old backyard. In fact, that's where it felt like.

"Bite you?" He laughed. "No, no, you deserve something much worse." Then all of the air in my lungs left. As he raised his wand to utter some awful spell, I thought of one I read in one of my books. It was, um, what was it? Then it came to me.

"Petrificus Totalas!" I yelled, right as he opened his mouth. His body went rigid, and toppled to the ground. Then, one of the heavy boys hissed, "You'll pay for what you did to Malfoy." With eyes narrowed into slits, they started towards me, one of them grabbing my wand in their huge hands. I widened my eyes in fear. Then a familiar voice yelled something, something I didn't know. Then another voice, nearly identical, yelled something else.

Once I was in safety, I broke down.

"He's going to kill me this time!" I sobbed. I was back in the forest behind my old house. Fred grabbed onto me and shook my shoulders. "Mira, look at me. You're alright. No one's going to harm you. No one." I think George might of asked "Should I go get Lupin?" but I wasn't entirely sure. I was shaking, sobbing, screaming. And late for Defense. And probably in huge trouble for hexing this Malfoy guy, too. Fred whispered again, "You're fine. Calm down, calm down. You'll be OK." And then, I guess George must of gotten Moony, because instead of crying to Fred, I was now crying to him. "I'm going crazy!" I screamed, really believing it. Moony held onto my shoulders, and smiled. "You're not crazy, you're just a little unwell." I stopped, and wiped my eyes. He was right. I was unwell with anxiety and being a werewolf. But I wasn't crazy. Because I wasn't going to allow myself to be.

I walked into class, still puffy-eyed and sniffling, following Moony, I mean, Professor Lupin. Everyone stared. And I mean everyone. I sat down, clutching my books to my chest. "I'm sorry, class." Everyone nodded, slightly annoyed, but not too badly. "Alright. Today, because this is our first ever defense class, we're not doing too much. I thought we would just go over different defensive spells, and when to use them." If you think that'd be a boring class, I understand where you're coming from, but you'd be wrong. You know why? Nearly all of them had a demonstration. "Now, this is a Patronus. You won't learn this until seventh year, or even beyond that. It's one of the most complicated spells. But I'd like to show you." He yelled, "Expecto Patronum!" and a silvery wolf, elegant as could be, flowed out. It loped around the room before disappearing. Everyone sat in complete awe. I was the first to recover. "I would like to learn that, Professor." I said. Moony rolled his eyes. "Miranda, it is too complicated for a first year to learn. Most adults can't do it." I crossed my arms. "May I speak to you after class, then?" He nodded yes.

"Please, Moony! I want to learn it! Please, can I?" I pleaded. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, you're not going to be able to." But I was persistent. "Yes, I can!" He sighed. "Fine. Next week. My office." I hugged him. "Thank you, Moony!" I yelled over my shoulder, running to dinner. He sighed again. "You're welcome."

-Remus's POV-

She's never had the repressed memory of Greyback come back during a panic attack.

I think they could be getting more severe. She's never been torn from reality before.

That scares me.

And it scares me even more that she hasn't talked to one kid in her year, yet. Like, not even a "hello". As far as I know, the only people she's talking to is Ron, Fred, George, Hermione, and Neville. She might not be OK.

But she might be. So I had to shake the thoughts from my head and get back to lesson plans.

But I couldn't. And how did the twins find her? I mean, she was in a pretty remote part of the castle, at that time.

Speak of the devil.

"Hey, Lupin, can we come in?" said George, not even bothering to knock.

"That's Professor Lupin to you boys, and yes, you may."

Then I saw it. Fred was clutching a piece of parchment.

But the three names I had missed so much were on it.

Padfoot. Prongs. Wormtail.

The Marauder's Map.

Taking me from my thoughts, Fred started, "So we saw the name Moony on here, and that's what Mira, I mean, Miranda, calls you. So what is this?"

I sat there shocked. Dumbfounded. Appalled.

"W-where did you find that?"

George rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Filch's office, duh."

I laughed, despite the complete shock. "Come Saturday, I'll tell you about it. Not until then, though. Get to dinner. And keep an eye on Miranda, alright? Tell me if she has another attack like today."

Fred nodded solemnly. "That wasn't normal. Was she thinking about Greyback?"

Now it was my turn to nod. "Yeah. Keep an eye on her, that's all I'm asking."

"Alright," and that was it. I reclined in my chair, not exactly hungry.

The map was still intact? And why didn't Harry have it?

-Miranda's POV-

This castle has the literal best food, I swear. But I couldn't enjoy it.

Because I think my panic attacks are becoming more severe. And that blonde haired boy (who I learned from Neville was named Draco) kept sending me dirty looks. Figures. I hurried off after dinner to my common room, which is amazing. Because the couch in the far corner is perfect size for me to nap in and not talk to people. And that's what I felt like doing after dinner. So, goodnight!

Sadly, though, I woke up with a start around 10:30. "Shoot, we have a History of Magic essay!" And it was true. Binns was the only teacher to give homework on the very first day. I could understand if it was our 3rd, or even 2nd year, but come on! We're first years. I looked around the dimly lit common room, but no one was there expect for one girl.

"Hermione?" I whispered nervously. I wasn't sure what poessessed me to do it. I guess Hermione didn't intimidate me too much.

She turned around briskly, a quill in one hand and an ancient runes book in the other. "Yes?" She snapped. Then, I guess she saw who I was. "I'm sorry, um, Miranda, is it? I just already have loads of homework, and I must get it done tonight." Then, she added, "Why aren't you sleeping? I'm sure you have no homework." I sighed, "Well, I was sleeping, but then I rememberedd that Binns already assigned us an essay." She gave me a look of sympathy. "Yes, I understand." Then, looking back at her homework, she groaned. "Well, I guess I've got to take a break sometime, or else I might go crazy." I nodded.

"Tell me about."

She looked at me curiously. "How was today?"

"Fine, I suppose. Well, until when I was walking to Defense. I got cornered by some Slytherin because I accidently bumped into him."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Can you tell me his name?"

I stuttered, "I think it was like Draco Molfoy or something?"

"Draco Malfoy, I assume you're talking about?"

"Yeah, and he had two thugs behind him."

"That'll be Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Don't mess with the Slytherin gang." she snarled. "They're nothing but cowards anyways, based upon the way they act."

I looked at her. "What do you think of Professor Snape? He doesn't like me much, I don't think."

She narrowed her eyes again. "Snape is a bully- plain and simple. Especially to Neville Longbottom, you know him? He's in my year."

I nodded. "Yeah. He helped me get to Herbology this morning. He's pretty nice."

She agreed. "Well, I guess we should get back to work. Call me over if you need help, alright, Miranda? You know, I like you. You seem to be a smart girl. I think we'll get along."

I smiled. "I think so too."

 **Soo... the end of the chapter. What do you guys think? It's longer than usual, so tell me if you like longer or shorter chapters. Also, I know it seems I really hate Slytherins, but I don't. Just give it a few chapters. Did anyone catch that Matchbox Twenty refrence? When Lupin says "You're not crazy, you're just a little unwell." That's a line, well, sort of, from their song, Unwell, which I will love forever. It actually goes "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell." But close enough, right? Well, that's a long enough tangent. Please review, hopefully more chapters will be out soon (6 more days of school not counting weekends! Finally!) and I hope you're enjoying the story so far.**


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